Sherbrooke Expos Turn 20 in Style: New Threads, Steep Hill

Photo Courtesy of C. GT.

The Sherbrooke Expos are celebrating 20 years of baseball in the Quebec Major Baseball League. The ball club celebrated with brand new uniforms that feature a home set that looks similar to the San Diego Padres old navy jersey, but who's complaining? It’s all business this season at Stad Amadee-Roy.

The Expos new look comes with two pitchers from the Dominican Republic: Ricardo Smith and Francis Jones. Both pitchers played in the Cincinnati Reds organization, with Smith reaching Billings in the Pioneer League and Jones for Greeneville in the Appalachian League. The two men hope to catapult the club to the top of the standings by the end of the season.

Stad Amadee-Roy has been the site of baseball since a wooden grandstand was erected in 1910. The first stadium was built in 1938 with lighting that was replaced a year ago. The stadium would fall victim to a fire in September 1951, but a new version would open in time for the 1953 season. It sat 4,000 people and would last serve home to the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate in 1973. One of its players, relief pitcher Kent Tekulve, is still fondly remembered in town.

Photo Courtesy of David Metraux.

With no hopes of minor league baseball returning to Sherbrooke, the seating configuration was adjusted to accommodate 1,000 fans. Bench seating was installed over the concrete seating bowl in favor of individual theater-style seating. 

The stadium offers a covered brick grandstand, bench seats, a concession stand, alcohol sales, and its most distinguished feature, a giant hill that stretches from the left field foul line and smooths out past the center field wall. It would make the old “Tal’s Hill” at Daikin Park look like an anthill.

The hill begins a few feet above the ground in centerfield and inclines to what appears to be a 45 degree angle, rising gently to 15 feet the left field line and foul line. The hill eats most of the foul corner and it's only imaginable how players react when chasing down a ball or playing off the steep hill.

“The hill has a reputation that spreads far and wide - everybody has heard about it, even if they have never been to the stadium,” added Pelletier. “People are usually excited when they see it for the first time. While most players seem to enjoy it, some fans would like to see it gone. The majority understands its importance as a historical feature and popular quirk.”

Photo Courtesy of Louis-Marie Pelletier.

There are more than enough videos on Jonathan Glaude’s YouTube showing balls ricocheting off the hill, providing a welcome home-field advantage. The hill has been part of the outfield dimensions since the original ballpark opened almost 75 years ago. Pelletier added that players usually wait for the ball to hit the wall and roll down the hill and it is not troublesome in centerfield where many diving catches take place.

“If the play is within the bottom part of the hill, the first 5 feet, they will usually try to lay down to make the catch. Some more athletic players venture up the hill to catch or retrieve the ball, leading to some exciting plays.” 

Pelletier added that the hill is protected and will never be flatten or leveled based on it being recoginized as part of the national historic sites in Canada.

There are eleven clubs in the league playing in a myriad of facilities, including local fields, a stadium featuring grandstands originally constructed for Expo 67, and newer ballparks. The $7.8 million Jacques-Desautels Stadium will debut this season for the Brock Baseball Club. The seating capacity will increase from 400 to 800 seats and feature a covered section plus a food court. 

However, much is still a mystery to the league and many of its members. Pelletier added that the focus on the Expos is to build a strong team on the field that will attract fans to the ballpark. There is hope to have a strong social media presence in the future and promote the team the same way as the Welland Jackfish, 833 kilometers west in Ontario.

New season means new caps and beer, Photo Courtesy of the Sherbooke Expos

Besides the new home and away uniforms, fans will be treated to new caps and a 20th anniversary branding that was designed by a local company. The new home whites featured an interlocked S and E with navy blue piping down the front and sleeves. The same logo appears on a solid navy cap. The away jerseys are solid navy with the city name in a curved block letter design. According to its Facebook page, caps sell for $25 CAN.

Where does this leave the lonely ballpark traveler cruising along the provincial roads of Quebec? The Frontier League has set up shop in Quebec City and Trois-Rivieres, but maybe a slight diversion to Sherbrooke, or even Thetford Mines, Castor Vale, and Drummondville (three cities with legitimate ballparks) could make for an ideal road trip in French Canada. 

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Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel. Email at marc@stadiumjourney.com